Owls are birds of the order Strigiformes, which includes about 200 species (of which I photographed 43 members so far) of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight. Exceptions include the diurnal northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl.Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except Antarctica and some remote islands.Owls are divided into two families: the Strigidae family of true (or typical) owls; and the Tytonidae family of barn-owls.

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